Light Bars

A Recent comment from a concerned citzen....

Light bars on police cars...what is your position? Should they be on

top of the cars or in the window? Most of the new Sheriff's Office vehicles

now have the lights inside the front window instead of on top of the car,

so if you are in front of them they are difficult to identify as a police vehicle.

Don Brenneman's Response

Thank you for your interest in my opinions about Public Safety in Calvert County. The question of light bars on the roof as opposed to inside the car is asked of me over and over again by citizens throughout the county. Research shows that there is very little advantage to having the light bar on the roof vs. the inside, but when it comes to the siren it’s a different story. The siren, if not mounted on the roof with the light bar, is mounted inside the front grill. When the siren is mounted in the grill it does not project as far as if it were mounted on the roof. One advantage of the light bar inside the car is that the car is not easily recognized as a police car. This is very effective for traffic units, or units that traditionally run radar, looking to blend in with other cars around them. This however is not effective when you are looking to be highly visible in a community. One of the reasons we have marked cars and identifiable uniforms is for the deterrent factor.

My opinion- light bars belong on the roof so that people recognize us as the police. My concept of policing is much different than the current administrations. I believe traffic enforcement is necessary and important, but it is not the sole reason for the existence of the Sheriff’s Office. Crime in our county continues to increase, and I would like the Deputies more visible rather than less visible.

As your elected Sheriff, I think it is my responsibility to be a good steward of the Sheriff’s Office and not squander the budget on useless items like colors of police cars and equipment to make us less visible. An agency the size of the Calvert Sheriff’s Office needs to appear bigger than they are not smaller. Please feel free to contact me with any issues or concerns, I will make myself available at any time.

Don Brenneman

Brenneman 4 Sheriff